History

History

This was before a healthy artist-run network—before large, outdoor sculpture prizes,major commissions, specific sculpture collections, brave private collectors and sculptors being seen as bankable by commercial galleries. We needed a space that was affordable, large scale, versatile and with good access. A space where artists wouldn't be restricted by elements such as polished floorboards, precious interiors or a curatorial ethos—it had to be a place that allowed experimental development.

After a search across Melbourne, the current location of Yarra Sculpture Gallery was found, fortunately owned by the City of Yarra, who offered us three trial exhibitions late in 1997. The support was enormous—from artists, the arts community and the general public. Thanks to visionaries within the City of Yarra,we were able to secure a lease of the gallery space. The Contemporary Sculptors Association Inc. (csa) was formed to manage the gallery and develop other programs associated with expanding audiences, lobbying for artist rights, creating networks and exhibiting opportunities.

Well over four thousand artists have exhibited at Yarra Sculpture Gallery in our almost 20 year history, with a healthy mix of solo, group and curated exhibitions. Artists at all career stages have shown their work, from student shows through to established artists.

In 1997, sculptors Kate McCaughey, Gibson Carlisle, Emily Clarke and Julie Collins were concerned about the downturn in the commercial and non-commercial gallery scene. Galleries which traditionally represented sculptors were either closing or moving to smaller, often second-floor spaces,making exhibiting sculpture near impossible. Many sculptors found themselves cut loose from the commercial gallery system and without representation. Even more disappointingly, younger sculptors, particularly those who operated outside the commercial system, were not being given an opportunity to exhibit at all. Sculpture was suffering. A whole generation of sculptors was finding it difficult to experiment with scale, radical concepts, new media and using non-traditional materials.